Coin vending-machine.



J. A. WEBSTER. COIN VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1906.

Patented 001;. 10, 1911.

MR. w?

cow/um PLANOGHAPH CDHW'ASHINGTON. n. c.

25 tear the clothing.

35 .be operated by the user of the box.

JOHN A. WEBSTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

COIN VENDING-MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application filed December 4, 1906. Serial No. 346,318.

of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin Vending-Vlachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to coin controlled vending machines in general but more particularly to that type of coin machines known as single action machines, that is, a machine carrying a single article or package, such for instance as a cake of chocolate or other commodity as is now commonly dispensed from boxes secured to the backs of chairs or supports in theaters and other public places.

The objection to the use of the boxes now in use, especially in theaters, is that when the box is open the lid, door or cover projects into the aisle between the chairs and offers an obstruction to persons passing between the rows of chairs, which is likely to Indeed numerous instances of this kind are known. The bolts of the major single action coin machines are passive and cannot be used except by a special key and as the back of the chair upon which the box is secured is inclined toward the next succeeding rear row, the box has an overhang beyond the center of gravity which tends to hold the door open, especially as its passive locking bolt cannot This has given rise to serious objection to the use of such boxes in theaters.

The object of my invention is to overcome the above and many other objections known to manufacturers of this type of box and to the managers of theaters and other places of amusement and it consists in providing such boxes with an automatically closing door, and means to automatically lock the door when closed; and with the above- In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of a box embodying my invention with the front plate of the lock removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the box with the side plate removed. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the door partially open. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the box.

1 represents a box adapted to be secured in any suitable manner to a support such for instance as a chair in a theater or other public place of amusement in any well-lmown or desired manner. This box is of a shape suitable to hold the article intended to be vended therefrom.

2 is a cover, lid or top of the box hinged at 3 to the bottom or top of receptacle 1.

4 is a flat or other spring one end of which is secured at 5 within and at the bottom of the box, the other end of said spring bearing against the cover 2 as more clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In referring to the closure of the box as a door, it will be understood that for the purposes of this case, the lid, cover or door is included in said term and that the sliding lid, cover or other closure is intended to be embraced within said term.

If in the manufacture of this box, it is found desirable to have a compartment carried by the door within which the commodity to be vended is to be placed, a compartment 6 may be employed, said compartment being mounted on a clip or support 7 having an'elongated slot 8 within which a pin 9 may reciprocate, said pin 9 being fixed to the compartment 6 10 is a flat or other spring secured to the back of the box and 11 is a similar spring secured to the inside face of the door, said springs coacting to separate the compartment 6 and throw it into the space between the door and box when said door is open, thereby bringing the commodity held by the compartment in a convenient position between the door and the box to facilitate its removal from said compartment.

The box is provided with a catch or keeper 12, the top of which is inclined down ward toward the bottom of the box and is provided with a suitable opening 13 into which the bolt of the door is adapted to snap. I

As shown in Fig. 1, the locking mechanism is carried by the door and is covered by means of a suitable face plate. The door is provided with slots 11 enlarged as at 15 at the lower end thus forming a shoulder 16. 17 are looking bolts slidably mounted in said slots 14. and provided with a hook 18 at their upper ends as shown in Fig. 3, said hook being adapted to engage the opening 13 in the keeper 12 when the bottom is closed. The bolts are provided with shoulders 18.

19 are coiled springs, the ends of which are seated respectively against the shoulders 16 and 18 011 each side of each bolt whereby the bolt is normally held in locked position so that whenever the door is closed the hooks of said bolts snap into engagement with the keeper 12.

20 is the coin chute or the slot.

21 are passive bell-crank levers carrying rollers 22 on one arm, said rollers projecting through suitable slots 23 in a door structure into the coin chute in the path of the descending coin. The other arm of each bellcrank lever projects into a slot or notch 24 formed in one side of the locking bolt 17.

25 is a manually operated device, shown in the drawing as a sliding member mounted on the face plate of the door and provided with a projection 26 which extends within the coin chute at a point immediately above a point centered between the two rollers 22. This projection 26 is adapted to be reciprocated in the slot 27 formed in the door, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1.

28 is a slide normally projecting in the coin chute in the path of a coin after it is operated or locked, the object of said slide being to lock the coin in the chute for authorized collection. This slide is provided with a series of notches on one of its sides adapted to be engaged. by a series of tumblers 29 mounted in suitable slots formed in the structure of the door, said tumblers being held in locked position with reference to the slide 28 by means of the coiled spring 30 so that the projections on the tumblers lock the slide against unauthorized movement.

31 is a lever pivoted on the door structure, one end of which engages a notch 32 in one end of the slide, the other end of said lever projecting slightly beyond one edge of the key opening 83 formed in one of the edges of the door.

34: is a special key adapted to be inserted through the key opening 38 and of a construction to operate the tumblers 29 to free the slide 28 for movement. This key is provided with a shoulder 35 which, after the tumblers have been thrown for unlocking the bar 28, on further insertion of the key engages the lower arm of the lever 31 swinging said lever on its pivot thus withdrawing the slide 28 from the coin chute and freeing the coin to pass out of the machine.

The slide 28 is provided with cam faces 36 on one side adapted to be engaged by the rollers 87 mounted on extensions 38 which are integral with the locking bolts 17 so that when said slide 28 is moved by the special key and lever 31, said bolts are forced out of engagement with the keeper 12 and the door of the box is free to be opened.

A coin inserted in the slot 20 falls by gravity until it rests on the two rollers 22. By pressingdownward on lug 25, 26 is carried downward until it comes in contact with the coin and forces it between the two rollers spreading them apart and thus moving the bell crank levers 21, which in turn raise slides or bolts 17, disengaging them from keeper 12, when the box may be opened by pulling the front forward and the package of goods removed.

Then the front is released, the strong spring causes it to close and all the parts resuming the position which they occupied before the coin was inserted.

When the coin is forced between the rollers 22, it falls by gravity and rests on the end of the slide 28.

An attendant desiring to remove the coin and refill the receptacle, inserts a key 34 which first raises the tumblers 29 until their wards are in position to allow slide 28 to move, when a further movement of the key moves lever 81, which in turn withdraws slide 28 and allows the coin to drop out. At the same time, the inclined planes or cams 86 bearing on rollers 37 cause the bolts 17 to rise in the same manner as the forcing through of the coin did, and allows the box to be opened for the insertion of a new package of goods. It will thus be seen that after the coin is inserted and the lock manipulated, the door is free to be opened whereupon the contents of the box may be removed and as soon as the contents are removed and the door released, it instantly, under the action of spring 4 one end of which is secured to it at 39, closes and the hooks of the locking bolts slide on the inclined face of the keeper 12 and snap into engagement with said keeper into the openings 13 therein. The spring 4: insures the door being in closed relation with the box at all times except when forcibly held in open relation, thus obviating the danger of the clothes of patrons being torn when passing between the rows of chairs of a theater, as is explained in the beginning of this specificat-ion. I do not herein claim the special key and mechanism for unlocking the box, inasmuch as said special key and mechanism form the subject-matter of another application for U. S. Letters Patent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a vending machine, of a commodity holder pivoted in said machine, and a door for said machine, means holding said holder under tension when the door is closed, which when the door is opened projects said holder beyond the contour of the machine.

2. The combination with a vending machine, of a commodity holder, means tending to normally project said holder from said machine, a door for said machine,

means tending to normally hold said door in its closed position, manually operated means to open said door, and means for spacing the commodity holder from the door when the door is opened.

3. The combination with a vending machine and a door hinged thereto, of means tending to hold the door in closed position, a commodity holder hinged to said door, means spacing the holder from the machine and door when the door is opened.

l. The combination with a vending machine and a door hinged thereto, of a commodity holder hinged in said machine, guides on the door engaged by said holder and means spacing the holder from the door and machine when the door is open.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. WEBSTER.

WVitnesses:

FRANK G. TURNER, GRovnR J. CAREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

